Five Key Takeaways from TAC Insights in Rome.
TAC Insights brought together tax, trade, finance and IT professionals for two days of discussion about the future of global trade and compliance.
With shifting tariff policies, rising reporting expectations and the increasing role of automation, organisations need strategies that can adapt and scale.
This recap highlights the most important themes for teams working with SAP GTS, global tax automation, or S/4HANA-aligned compliance programmes.
1. Cross-Functional Collaboration Is Now Essential for Compliance Success
“Tax compliance & automation is a complex cross-functionality topic that requires strong collaboration across workstreams.”
Speakers made it clear: automation only works when teams work together. Finance, trade, legal and IT must align their processes and understand how data flows between functions.
The biggest barriers to automation aren’t technical, they’re organisational. Issues like duplicated work, unclear ownership and inconsistent data maintenance often sit at the heart of compliance challenges. Closing those gaps allows automation to scale more predictably and sustainably.
2. AI Is Accelerating Predictive, Real-Time Compliance
“AI… will help drive classification and compliance prediction, reduce manual errors, speed up real-time processing and accelerate reporting.”
AI is no longer theoretical; it’s actively supporting compliance teams. Practical use cases discussed at TAC included:
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AI-driven classification suggestions
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Anomaly and risk detection
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Real-time data validation
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Predictive insights into compliance issues
This shift moves compliance from reactive to proactive, improving accuracy and cutting down on manual, repetitive tasks.
3. SAP GTS Automation Is Becoming Standard Across Global Trade
“With fluctuating tariffs and geopolitical risk, companies are increasingly relying on automation of cross-border processes.”
Organisations are now leaning heavily on SAP GTS to make compliance processes faster and more reliable. Automation is being applied to:
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Customs declarations
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Screening and embargo checks
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Classification workflows
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Document and data processing
These improvements help organisations stay resilient, especially as regulations shift quickly and unpredictably.
4. Strong Data Foundations Are Still the Backbone of Compliance
“Accurate master data, especially product classification, partner data, and transactional attributes, is critical.”
Even the most advanced automation relies on strong, consistent data. The most common data issues affecting GTS teams include:
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Inconsistent or outdated product classification
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Partner data mismatches
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Missing or inaccurate transactional details
Weak data leads to rework, delays, and failed filings, reducing the overall impact of automation and AI. Strong data foundations ensure organisations can trust their compliance processes as expectations rise.
5. E-Invoicing Mandates Are Expanding Worldwide, Fast
“The event underlined the importance of building future-proof tax architecture.”
With more countries moving toward structured, real-time reporting, organisations must prepare for rapid and ongoing change. Treating e-invoicing as a series of one-off fixes only creates fragmentation and technical debt.
A scalable, future-proof tax architecture helps organisations adapt quickly and meet new requirements without heavy rework each time a mandate evolves.
Summary: What TAC Insights Means for Global Trade & Tax Leaders
For organisations using SAP GTS, building tax automation, or preparing for S/4HANA migrations, the key lessons from TAC Insights were clear:
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Collaboration is essential to unlocking automation
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AI is delivering practical value today
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SAP GTS automation supports resilience amid regulatory changes
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Data quality remains foundational
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E-invoicing mandates require scalable, long-term architecture
Let’s Continue the Conversation
If you’d like to explore any of these themes in more detail, or discuss how they apply to your organisation, I’m always happy to chat.
SAP GTS SME